A gunfight erupted last night between armed members of the "Saraya al-Salam" faction, affiliated with the Sadrist leader Muqtada al-Sadr, and others believed to be from the "Asa'ib Ahl al-Haq," a prominent group within the ruling "Coordination Framework." Iraqi forces were able to regain control and end the tension, while sources indicated that "a dispute over promotional pictures in the streets ignited the conflict between the two sides."
Members from both groups exchanged light weapons fire for two hours in the "Al-Amel" neighborhood in southern Baghdad, an area known for conflicts between the Sadrist movement and other Shiite factions. This is not the first time that the pro-Sadr faction has clashed with factions close to the "Coordination Framework," especially the "Asa'ib," since the assassination of a Saraya leader in Maysan (South) last year.
Since then, confrontations between the two sides have continued, sometimes taking on a tribal character, leading to a cycle of open and mutual assassinations. An ingrained hostility exists between Sadr and Khazali since the latter split from the "Mahdi Army," where he was active in the years following 2004, and intensified as Khazali became a political actor competing with the Sadrist movement for influence in political and government institutions.
Eyewitness accounts differ regarding the background of the clash between the two sides, which resulted in at least two armed members being injured. An eyewitness from the Al-Amel neighborhood stated that supporters of the Sadrist movement removed electoral posters of candidates from the "Coordination Framework" and replaced them with pictures and banners specific to the Sadrist movement, which angered armed members from "Asa'ib Ahl al-Haq."
However, other eyewitnesses told "Al-Sharq Al-Awsat" that a group from "Asa'ib Ahl al-Haq" set up banners and pictures of Iranian Quds Force commander Qassem Soleimani in a place dedicated to the Sadrist leader, as part of preparations by groups close to Iran for the anniversary of the "airport incident" next month.
Witnesses reported that "Sadrist supporters were upset about hanging Soleimani's pictures in the place designated for Saraya al-Salam's slogans in the area." Clashes broke out in the streets of the city, and "Asa'ib Ahl al-Haq" rushed to display armored vehicles, raising "Popular Mobilization Forces" slogans. Local media reported that medical sources indicated that ambulances were transporting the wounded until late Monday night, but information about the number of casualties and injuries from the clash remained conflicting.
Before dawn on Tuesday, a large force from the federal police entered the neighborhood and closed all its entrances in an attempt to control the situation, and with the arrival of the Baghdad Operations Commander, who conducted field communications with those involved in the clash, calm returned to the city. The operations commander, Major General Walid Khalifa, told reporters that "the tension is over, and armed clashes will not happen again," although he had previously denied the occurrence of any clash at all.
